I Dream of Dragons

by Ashlyn Chase

  “Gross,” she exclaimed.

  The lock clicked and the door opened, but only a crack. “I can’t let you ruin my apartment. Why don’t we call the bathroom neutral territory?”

  “I guess we could do that.” He smiled and winked at her. “For now.”

  She opened the door slowly. “Let’s add the kitchen to that list.”

  “Why not? I don’t suppose either of us likes our food raw.” His breath could whip up a nice barbecue, but he couldn’t tell her that.

  She slipped out of the bathroom, then made a quick right turn and dashed into the bedroom. She shot him a grin of satisfaction. “I claim the only bedroom.”

  He shrugged. “Fine by me. I have the whole living room, which appears to be the bigger area.”

  Her lush lips compressed into a hard line, and her pretty hazel-green eyes narrowed.

  A knock sounded at the apartment door, followed by Morgaine’s voice. “Amber…are you in there?”

  “Damn,” Amber muttered under her breath. Without leaving the bedroom, she yelled, “Yes. I’m here. Come on in.”

  The front door opened slowly. Both managers walked in. Sly strode over and stood by Rory. Morgaine carried a handbag to Amber.

  “Are you two talking this out?” Morgaine asked as she handed Amber her purse.

  Amber looked relieved. “Thanks.” She reached into it and withdrew her cell phone.

  Now she can call in reinforcements. Speaking of which, where were his siblings?

  Rory tried to appear nonchalant. “We’re workin’ on it. You wouldn’t happen to know where me sisters are, would you?”

  “Chloe signed their lease, then said they were going shopping,” Morgaine replied.

  “They said they’d get a few things for you,” Sly added. “I told them where the grocery store is, as well as where to buy a futon. Since they’re on foot, I imagine they’ll have to have that delivered. If you two don’t work this out, you could spend an uncomfortable night or two on the floor.”

  “So let me get this straight,” Amber said. “My signature on the lease means nothing? You’re going to let this big oaf stay in my apartment until one of us gives up and leaves?”

  “Or until your check clears,” Morgaine said. “Neither of us are lawyers, and we were hoping you’d have resolved this on your own.”

  Amber stared at Rory. “Oh, it’ll clear. Are you sure you want your sisters buying furniture for this place?”

  “I’m a man of simple tastes. A futon and small milk crate are all I need to sit, eat, and sleep.”

  Amber sighed. “Well, at least you won’t have much to carry when you move out.”

  “I’m not movin’. And from the looks of it, you’ll be the one sleepin’ on the floor. Unless…”

  “Unless what?”

  “Unless you want to share me futon.” He waggled his eyebrows.

  She slammed the bedroom door, and a click said she’d locked it.

  Sly and Morgaine faced each other and began another staring contest. Rory stepped a few feet away, cleared his throat, and waited to get their attention…and waited some more while they continued to stare at each other.

  At last he cleared his throat loudly, and they finally looked at him. He waved them over.

  They glanced at each other, then followed him.

  “Are you two telepathic?” he whispered.

  Sly smiled. “You picked up on that, huh?”

  “I didn’t know if you had some weird nonverbal way to settle an argument. Maybe if you let me in on your concerns, I can shed some light on me and mine.”

  Morgaine’s posture relaxed. “I suppose we should hear you out. Both of you. An informed decision usually results in a better outcome, and right now I’m not happy with the outcome we’re getting.”

  Sly put his arm around her waist. “That makes two of us. We never fight.”

  She smiled at him, and eventually they kissed. Just a peck.

  “So, what are your concerns, Morgaine?”

  She lowered her voice. “I know you’re dragons, and we want to help our fellow paranormals, but we had a bad experience with a dragon living here before.”

  Rory nodded. “Sly mentioned that. We don’t sneeze fire. We have no allergies that I know of, and we have complete control over our powers.”

  “Are you sure? I was told that if a dragon didn’t ‘blow off steam’ sexually from time to time, he or she could shift inadvertently.”

  Rory laughed. “Sounds like a pickup line. No. Me sisters and I have powerful dragon magic. It allows us to shift quickly, but only when necessary. We prefer our human forms anyway.”

  “Why do you want to live here?” Sly asked.

  “Drake and Bliss seemed to think it was perfect for us. I believe they’re right. It’s para-friendly, and the neighborhood is safe for me sisters.”

  “Can you afford it?” Morgaine asked point-blank.

  Rory laughed. “For as long as we live, and that’s a long, long time.”

  “How do you get along with others?”

  “Quite well, ordinarily. We Irish tend to be charmin’ and friendly.”

  She nodded. “Good.”

  “Then you’re satisfied? I can stay here?”

  She held up her palm to halt his assumption. “Not yet. We need to talk to the other party. Remember?”

  His hope faded. “Of course.” He gestured toward the bedroom with a sweep of his hand.

  Both of the managers approached the door and knocked.

  “Who is it?” Amber called out.

  “The managers,” Sly answered.

  She opened the door a crack. “Have you come to a decision?”

  Ah! She can’t hear through doors. That means she’s probably not supernatural, which is a point in me favor.

  “We have not. May we come in and talk to you?” Morgaine said.

  “Does a certain stubborn Irishman have to come in with you?”

  “Not yet,” Morgaine said. “We’d like to talk to you both individually first.”

  Amber stepped back and opened the door wider.

  As soon as the managers were inside, she gave Rory an arrogant smile and closed the door in his face.

  He was tempted to shift. His hearing was even better in his dragon form. He chuckled to himself as he pictured her expression when she came nose to snout with a full-sized dragon in her living room. She’d probably run, screaming.

  Sly was speaking, but Rory could tell the vampire was trying to keep his voice low. Still, Rory was able to pick up the gist of the conversation. Why did she want to live here? Would her references check out? Had she ever been late with her rent? And, if she wound up with the apartment, could she get along with other tenants? All the normal questions a landlord with two potential renters would ask.

  There was no question hinting about her being paranormal, which meant they didn’t know if she was.

  Finally the managers emerged and Amber closed the door, but she didn’t lock it this time. That could be an oversight or a sign of confidence. Either way, he was sure he could convince her to leave.

  Before either Sly or Morgaine spoke, a knock at the door indicated visitors. Rory strode to the door and opened it to reveal his grinning sisters. They held a futon laden with grocery bags and they hadn’t even broken a sweat.

  “Ah,” he said. “How lucky am I to have such a strong and loyal family?”

  Sly smiled. “Let me help you with that.”

  “No need. We’ve got it,” Chloe said. “Where do you want this, Brother?”

  “Me thinks right in front of the fireplace would be nice. Don’t you?” he asked Morgaine.

  She nodded. “You can only burn candles in the fireplace though.”

  “A pity. But I always abide by the rules.” He turned to his sisters
. “You didn’t happen to purchase any candles, did you?”

  They set down the futon in front of the fireplace and Shannon grunted. “We were thinkin’ you might like to eat and sleep, so we got you a bed, food, and cutlery.”

  Chloe snorted. “I suppose you wanted a complete set of silver and bone china for twelve, but we didn’t get those either.”

  He held up his hands. “You’ve got the right of it. I only need the basics for now.”

  “I can bring you a few candles,” Morgaine said and smiled.

  “Thank you!” Rory didn’t mean to sound so surprised.

  The bedroom door opened. Amber glanced at the cozy setup and the girls carrying bags of groceries to the kitchen.

  “Oh. You’re moving in? Well, don’t get too comfortable, because I just called a moving company to pack my apartment and bring all my things here.”

  “And how are they supposed to get into your old apartment?” Chloe asked. “It’s not like we’re about to help you turn out our brother so you can leave.”

  “I called my neighbor, Candy. She has an emergency key to my apartment and said she’d let the movers in.”

  Everyone focused on the managers, who’d been silently observing the whole time.

  At last, Morgaine said, “Since we can’t seem to come to a decision, we’re going to let the other tenants weigh in. Are you both agreeable to meeting them?”

  “Absolutely,” Rory said. He hoped there were a lot of female tenants he could use his Irish charisma on…even though the only woman he wanted to charm at the moment was the one least interested in his existence.

  * * *

  Finn Kelley sat at a card table across from a gypsy inside a colorful tent.

  I must be mad. Truth be told, he’d consult the devil himself to get a clue to Shannon’s whereabouts. The doctor was right, drinking didn’t solve the problem. As soon as Finn had sobered up, he’d known that.

  “You’re missing someone,” the gypsy woman said. “A young woman, I see.”

  Finn leaned forward, hoping to get a glimpse of whatever was in the seer’s crystal ball. “Where is she?”

  The gypsy stared into the crystal and her brows furrowed. “Hmmm…”

  She leaned forward and seemed to be straining to see something. A full minute passed. At last she shut her eyes, leaned back, and rubbed her temples.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “That knowledge is blocked.”

  “Blocked? What do you mean?”

  “I mean that bit of information is shrouded—being kept secret by someone or something. An entity… And trying to get to it is hurting my head.”

  Finn narrowed his eyes. “Is this a ploy for more money? Will another dozen euros find a way through that block?”

  Her back stiffened. “As much as I’d like more money to offset the pain I just suffered, I am not a fraud. I am telling you that someone or something is not allowing me to see more.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  She sighed. “It must be powerful magic. Now, don’t roll your eyes…”

  He hadn’t.

  “I don’t know what you’ve heard of the ancient little people, but I’d say the block must come from someone or something like that.”

  Finn rolled his eyes—he couldn’t help it this time. “I’m Irish. Of course I’ve heard the legends of leprechauns, fairies, and the like.”

  “They are not legends. Or as my people say, ‘Legends come from somewhere.’ They tend to be ancient truths.”

  If this woman wasn’t a fraud, he’d eat his hat, but on the off chance she wasn’t full of shite… “Fine. Let’s say the little people are hidin’ her somewhere. How do I find them?”

  “Ah, now that’s the trick. You’ll have to find someone who doesn’t want to be found.”

  Here it is… I’ll need to pay her a hundred euros and go to some far-off location while she conveniently disappears.

  “Fortunately, I know a bit of magic has upset the area recently. I’d say they’re a lot closer than you might think.”

  “Close, huh? How close?”

  “Right here in Ballyhoo. An ancient castle has appeared out of nowhere. It’s built into the cliffs off Braydon Road.”

  Now she had his attention. Shannon’s cottage was on Braydon Road’s dead end. It was too much of a coincidence. Perhaps magic was responsible for her disappearance—if magic of that kind existed.

  “I’m surprised I haven’t heard about an ancient castle appearin’. It seems like the kind of news that would spread through a small village in minutes.”

  “That’s what the villagers get for shutting out us travelers. We see things, yet you turn us away from your pubs. If we’re not welcome, why should we tell the ‘good’ people of Ballyhoo what’s happening right under their noses?” She emphasized the word “good” as if she were spitting it. “They’d never believe us anyway.”

  She had a point, but why hadn’t he seen a castle when he went looking for Shannon at her home? He’d been riding his bike and looking down to be sure he didn’t fall over a wagon wheel rut. He could have missed the castle—especially if it was tucked into a cliff.

  He rose and reached into his back pocket. “How much do I owe you?”

  “How much did I say it cost at the beginning?”

  “Thirty euros. But I already paid it.”

  “Then our business is finished.”

  He was surprised but not unhappy. “Is there anythin’ else you can tell me? Like, is she all right?”

  “I’ve told you all I know.”

  * * *

  Finn rode his bicycle along the familiar tire ruts in the dirt road. For once, the weather was agreeable, allowing him to wear short sleeves and no slicker. Perhaps the cloaked hood he’d worn to keep the rain off his face had prevented him from seeing a castle before. He shook his head. Unlikely.

  If there was a full-size castle near the Arish cottage, and not one made out of sand, he’d eat his derby hat.

  When he rode into view of the cottage, he caught sight of a projection rising from the side of the cliff. Funny, I don’t think I’ve seen that before.

  He hopped off his bike, abandoned it in the sod beside the road, and strode toward the ruin. As his view became clearer, he realized the projection resembled a turret and he quickened his pace. At last he ran toward the outcrop and halted in time to keep from tumbling off the grassy cliff.

  Gazing down, he spotted a few openings in the cliff. Seeing such a thing wasn’t unusual in Ireland, but for stone arches to be built right into the side of a cliff like this… The caves looked more like doorways. How did the ancient residents get into it? And why hadn’t modern fishermen spotted it?

  “What magic is this?” he muttered.

  The sound of a throat clearing behind Finn startled him. He whirled around and came thighs to face with a small man. He was larger than a midget, but perfectly proportioned, unlike a dwarf. Wearing a green suit and a hat with red curls peeking out from under it, he looked like a…

  “Top o’ the mornin’,” the little man said.

  Hmmm… Nobody in Ireland says that anymore. Finn scrambled to remember all he’d ever heard about the little people, specifically leprechauns. They had gold and powerful magic to protect it. They liked to play tricks. His throat went dry. “Good mornin’,” Finn croaked politely.

  “Can I help you?” the little man asked.

  “I—um…” He had to find Shannon, and if the little people weren’t just a myth and had her, he had to find a way to ask. Careful now, Finn, he told himself. Legend says the leprechauns are easily insulted. Don’t accuse him of anythin’.

  “Does your tongue work?”

  “Ah, it does. I was just wonderin’ if in your travels you mayhaps have seen me friend. About yea high.” He held his hand out straight, lev
el with his nose. “Hair as red as your own, but long and wavy. Lips like a perfect cupid’s bow, and eyes as blue as the sky this fine day.”

  The little man scratched the short beard on his chin. “I can’t say as I’ve seen a lass like that.”

  Finn hadn’t said she was a lass. The man was either lying or assuming her sex.

  “I can see you love her,” the mysterious gentleman added quickly. “I’m sorry if she deserted you.”

  Now Finn was insulted. He straightened his spine. “She would never desert me. Never. That’s why I’m afraid somethin’ terrible has happened.”

  “Oh. Somethin’ terrible, is it? Let’s hope that’s not the case. Mayhaps you’ll find her—eventually.”

  Finn was almost paralyzed with indecision. Should he grab the little man and, instead of demanding his pot of gold, insist that he return his ladylove? Not yet. Not until he knew who or what he was dealing with.

  “We’ve not been properly introduced,” he said at last. “My name is Finnegan Kelley, but everyone calls me Finn.”

  “Pleased to make your acquaintance, Finn Kelley. You can call me Lucky.”

  “A rare name. Does it apply?”

  Lucky tittered. “Sometimes.”

  Finn kicked at a clod of earth in front of him. “I wish I had a bit of luck right now. I must find Shannon. She was to be me wife someday. I miss her somethin’ fierce.”

  Lucky reached out and laid a hand on Finn’s arm. “Close your eyes. See the lass in your mind,” he said.

  Finn did as he was told. After all, he pictured her several times a day. When the small man removed his hand, Finn had a sense of peace and calm. It was as if he just knew she was all right.

  “Well, I must be on me way,” Lucky said. “I have some business to conduct.”

  Finn nodded. “It was good to meet you, sir.”

  The leprechaun—or whatever he was—grinned. “No need for such formalities. I’m not a knight, after all. Not that you can tell from me appearance.” He chuckled and strode away toward the road.

  Finn gazed at the castle again. He only turned his head for a moment or two, but when he looked back, Lucky was gone.

  * * *